Achieving Diversity on Campus: A Better Approach
By Don Munce
The recent passing of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks reminds Americans of the long struggle we have undertaken to achieve true equity in our country — how far we have come and how far we have to go. Rosa Parks’ decision to stay seated paved the way for others to stand up for their rights. In that mold, we can view our commitment to creating truly multicultural college and university campuses as an investment in future diverse communities. Student bodies that are inclusive and represent the spectrum of cultures in this country greatly enhance the experiences and the potential of our young people.
The landmark Grutter v. Bollinger Supreme Court decision in 2003 affirming the value of racial diversity in university admissions opened the doors of opportunity to many students who might otherwise have been left out. But celebrating that decision is not the same as putting it into action. Current outreach and recruitment efforts often fail to identify and recruit the very students for whom the decision was meant to benefit.
The challenge is to raise awareness of the current practices that result in the under-representation of certain groups of students, and to provide colleges and universities with tools to bring greater diversity to their admissions systems.
The process of developing a campus’s student body begins long before admissions applications are submitted. Enrollment officers begin building their classes two to three years in advance. The decisions they make about the various admissions criteria are critical. They open doors to some young people, and close them for others; often those who already have too few viable options.
Research indicates that colleges and universities under-select students from groups that are already underrepresented on campus and tend to over-select from groups that are already represented in disproportionate numbers.
